{"id":101960,"date":"2025-08-14T05:18:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T05:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/ron-capps-balances-respect-and-rivalry-as-nhra-countdown-approaches\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T05:18:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T05:18:24","slug":"ron-capps-balances-respect-and-rivalry-as-nhra-countdown-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/ron-capps-balances-respect-and-rivalry-as-nhra-countdown-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Ron Capps Balances Respect and Rivalry as NHRA Countdown Approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps joined Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider Podcast to pull back the curtain on what it\u2019s like to race in the most competitive Funny Car field in recent memory, how he manages the mental grind of a long season, and why respect for his peers never gets in the way of wanting to beat them. As the driver and team owner of Ron Capps Motorsports, he\u2019s chasing another title while juggling the relentless demands of running his own operation \u2013 a challenge he embraces as part of the sport\u2019s evolution.<\/p>\n

Capps\u2019 reflections came in the wake of another solid run of races for his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, though he admits there\u2019s never a moment to let up in a field stacked with proven winners. \u201cThe competition right now is insane,\u201d Capps said. \u201cYou line up against anyone on Sunday and they\u2019re capable of throwing a .90-something at you. It forces you to be on your game every single round. There\u2019s no such thing as an easy path.\u201d That constant pressure, he explained, is part of what fuels him. \u201cYou can\u2019t fake it in this class. The car\u2019s either going to run the number or it\u2019s not, and if you\u2019re not prepared, you\u2019re going home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Even with decades of experience, Capps says the sport still finds ways to challenge him. The move to team ownership has added layers to his responsibilities \u2013 managing budgets, keeping sponsors engaged, overseeing personnel \u2013 all while maintaining the same on-track performance that\u2019s made him one of the winningest drivers in Funny Car history. \u201cThere are days where you\u2019re switching hats constantly,\u201d he admitted. \u201cOne minute you\u2019re the driver, the next you\u2019re in a meeting with a sponsor, and then you\u2019re in the pit trying to help make a call on the tune-up. It\u2019s a lot, but I wouldn\u2019t trade it. Owning my own team has made the wins even more rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capps is quick to point out that while the camaraderie among drivers is real, it\u2019s balanced by an intense competitive edge. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge amount of respect out here \u2013 you have to have that when you\u2019re going over 330 mph next to each other \u2013 but when you put the helmet on, it\u2019s about doing whatever you can to turn on the win light. We can shake hands after, but in the moment, I\u2019m trying to put you on the trailer.\u201d That approach, he believes, is what keeps the sport compelling for fans. \u201cThey want to see rivalries, they want to see passion. That\u2019s what makes it worth coming out to the track.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As the Countdown to the Championship looms, Capps is focused on sharpening every detail, from reaction times to setup decisions. \u201cThe Countdown is a reset for everyone, but the reality is you can\u2019t just flip a switch in September and expect to dominate,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be building toward it all season. The habits you create in the regular season \u2013 those are the ones that carry you when the pressure\u2019s at its highest.\u201d He pointed to his team\u2019s preparation as a source of confidence, noting that they\u2019ve worked hard to ensure the car can adapt to different track and weather conditions. \u201cWhether it\u2019s cool and fast in Reading or tricky and hot somewhere else, we want to know we can put up a number that wins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capps also touched on the mental side of the sport, a component he believes is often overlooked. \u201cThe physical part is real \u2013 the G-forces, the heat \u2013 but it\u2019s the mental game that separates people,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to block out distractions, reset after a bad run, and stay locked in for four rounds on race day is huge. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve had to work on my whole career.\u201d It\u2019s a skill he hopes to pass down to younger drivers, many of whom he\u2019s competed against since their rookie seasons. \u201cYou want to see the sport grow, so you share what you can, but you also want to beat those same guys on Sunday. It\u2019s a weird balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Looking ahead, Capps sees opportunity in the chaos of a tight points race. \u201cWe\u2019re in a spot where a couple of good races could put us right where we want to be heading into the Countdown,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to come down to execution \u2013 no mistakes, make the right calls, and be aggressive when it counts.\u201d He\u2019s not shying away from the weight of expectation that comes with being a multi-time champion, either. \u201cPeople expect you to win because you\u2019ve done it before, and that\u2019s fine. I expect to win, too. That\u2019s why we do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Capps, the next stretch of the season is about blending respect for the challenge with the determination to rise above it. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to appreciate the level we\u2019re all competing at right now \u2013 it\u2019s some of the best racing I\u2019ve ever been a part of,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, I\u2019m here to add another trophy to the shelf. That\u2019s the goal, and we\u2019re going to give it everything we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on August 14, 2025. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Ron Capps Balances Respect and Rivalry as NHRA Countdown Approaches<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps joined Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider Podcast to pull back the curtain on what it\u2019s like to race in the most competitive Funny Car field in recent memory, how he manages the mental grind of a long season, and why respect for his peers never gets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101960\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}